Meet the lively finisher

Sam Billings doesn’t bring his adventurous streak on the cricket field to the table

May 04, 2017 12:02 pm | Updated 12:02 pm IST

FARMING THE STRIKE Sam Billings at the Pluck restaurant in Hotel Pullman New Delhi

FARMING THE STRIKE Sam Billings at the Pluck restaurant in Hotel Pullman New Delhi

He is the archetypal modern professional – well travelled, eager to explore and making the most of the short career lifespan of sportspersons. Sam Billings, at 25, is still making his mark in international cricket but is no rookie when it comes to life experiences.

Retained by Delhi Daredevils for the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League, the Kent wicket keeper-batsman is excited to be back in India. Though the team hasn’t exactly set the leader board on fire so far, Billings is satisfied with his own performances. Not one to throw his starry weight around despite being aware that cricketers rank pretty high on the social scale in the country, Billings is a few minutes early for our meeting at Pluck, the speciality restaurant at Hotel Pullman in Aerocity.

He is on a deadline – the team would leave in an hour and half for its training — but that is no reason for him to rush through. He likes his food, he admits, but adds that he is not one to linger on a meal for too long. “I take 2-5 five minutes to finish,” he declares. He is also pretty clear about what he wants, and is preference is more towards Cafe Pluck, a level below, than anything from the fine dining section of the restaurant across the lobby. The staff is more than willing to cater to one of their regular guests – it is, after all, the official Delhi Daredevils’ team hotel.

There is no need for a menu or suggestion either. Billings refuses a starter, ignores the complimentary lettuce, requests some sparkling water and jumps straight to the main course, asking for Chicken Parmesana with a side of mashed potatoes and broccoli. “No chips, please,” he adds before settling down for conversation.

And it is indeed a delight talking to the youngster. Cricket for long was considered an elite sport, played by those (back in England) who had a lot of time and money and little to do. Even in India, till a generation ago, the number of players from the hinterland were few and far between as the game was considered dominated by the metropolitan cities. But nothing prepares you for the clipped, university educated person whose family owns a huge farm back in Kent and who loves escaping the rigours of the tour by simply returning to a more rustic lifestyle once in a while.

Sam Billings

Sam Billings

Billings has been around the T20 leagues across the world – India, Australia, Dubai (for the Pakistan Super League) – besides being a regular with the English national side. “They all pose a different challenge — the fan base, the culture, the competition and the conditions themselves are very different. Here the tracks are more spin friendly and a bit slower, the grounds are smaller. In Australia, the pitches are bouncier and quicker, at home the ball moves more through the air and swings more. All of it makes you a better player. There is no doubt that in the last one year my cricket has improved a lot by playing in all these leagues,” he explains.

Life as a journeyman

It is tough, he admits, specially for a 25-year-old who loves his family and farms and home-cooked food, but doesn’t dwell too much on it. “My family doesn’t like me anyway, they sent me away to boarding school at the age of 10!” he laughs with a mock-complaint, but then insists that he is used to it. “You spend a lot of time away from home and that’s the bit where people only see your performances on field but not the other stuff. I have been home for two weeks since the beginning of November.

“I think I am very lucky that I went to boarding school early and then to university and as such you get used to being pretty independent. I can happily go and have lunch or a coffee on my own, read a book, I have no qualms with that. But honestly, you are too busy to miss home, really – I know it sounds bad but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. This is your job, this is what you signed up for, so no complaints,” he shrugs.

His girlfriend Sarah Cantalay often travels with him and that takes care of some of the loneliness. What he does miss is his mother’s cooking. A Cordon Bleu qualified chef, she is the one person who has spoilt him, he laughs. “Sometimes when I am in a remote place and I miss mum’s roast lamb on a weekend and then those are the times you feel like being home,” he says. “I do pester a lot and my mum spoils me completely. A couple of years ago I missed Christmas at home and I was back around May, and mum got my cousins and family around, about 20 of us and we celebrated Christmas in May, just because I wasn’t home in December. Bless her, she does spoil me silly,” he smiles, the fond memories clearly still fresh.

Ask if he likes cooking and there are mixed reactions. “My girlfriend Sarah is the breakfast queen, you ask it and she can make it. But I have lunch and dinner covered. I can cook anything but I do not like cooking for myself. I prefer cooking for others because that gives you more satisfaction,” he says. And what would be the Sam Billings special? “Scallops to start with and then lamb in a red corn and orange sauce, like a gravy, with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes,” he says grandly.

His favourite meal, he declares, is the Sunday Roast. “It’s probably the most English thing ever. So you have the roast chicken, roast lamb, roast beef, roast pork and then roasted potatoes and vegetables and gravy and Yorkshire pudding — that's my absolute favourite. I am very English that way, I like all the different flavours. My Indian friends, though, say there is no flavour, only spice! But I just can’t have spicy food. I do not enjoy the feeling on my mouth on fire,” he quips.

Exploring India

Even though he loves playing in India – and elsewhere too – Indian food is something he has stayed away from. Neither the food nor the weather has been able to keep him away from exploring the country, though this time around the schedule is too packed for a break, he complains. The Champions Trophy beginning a week after the IPL ends is reason for that but Billings would be gone much before, being named in the England squad to play a series against Ireland starting May 5.

At the end of the day, he says, he is just a lucky farm boy who gets paid to travel the world and follow his passion as a profession. “My father said to me to just enjoy my cricket. ‘You have got about 10-15 years to play this game, live this life, travel the world, play cricket. The farm will always be there when you get back,’ he said. It’s always gonna be there once I pack up my cricket. Yeah, that would be me, just have a good time on the farm,” he signs off, foregoing dessert and ready to get his shoulders taped for the gruelling session ahead.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.